Larimer Standoff Suspect, Shot 4 Times, In Critical Condition

David Bush was charged in a shooting in March in front of the Allegheny County Police Headquarters. (Credit: KDKA)

LARIMER (KDKA) – A suspect is in critical condition following a standoff in Larimer.

The incident happened near the intersection of Finley and Meadow Street and ended shortly before noon on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Police Commander Thomas Stangrecki said David Bush, 36, raised a sawed off shotgun in the direction of the SWAT team and it went off.

Several members of the SWAT team fired back, shooting him in the torso.

“Once he got behind his vehicle, he raised the firearm up in the direction of numerous SWAT officers who were on the scene and the firearm discharged,” Stangrecki said. “At that point, several of the SWAT officers returned fire, striking Mr. Bush in the torso which dropped him to the ground.”

The people who live near where the standoff unfolded said the police gave Bush several times to surrender.

“They said, ‘Come out with your hands up! Put the gun down!’” LaVaughn Brown, a neighbor, said. “And they said, ‘This is the last time we’re going to tell you.’

“So in the meantime, I heard the ‘Pop! Pop!’ so I said, ‘Okay, that’s tear gas.’ I’m still in the window and they said ‘Pop! Pop!’ Then they hollered real loud, ‘Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Drop the gun!’

“And then I heard a ‘Boom!’ and I said, ‘This time, no, this is real shots,’” Brown described.

George Phillips, a retired Pittsburgh police officer, also lives in the neighborhood. He said they released tear gas in the third floor of the house.

“At that time, he come down the front steps and unfortunately he had a sawed off shotgun at his right-hand side,” he said.

Bush was taken by ambulance to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

Officers recovered the suspect’s shotgun.

KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin reports Bush was shot four times by three police officers.

Investigators say he ran inside his home after threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend in front of her two children.

“Mr. Bush continued to assault the victim, trying to choke her and threatened to kill her if she called police,” Stangrecki said.